Rangers 1-0 Livingston: Sub Arfield boosts his claim for a new contract with winner for SPL leaders

For long enough, this felt like the re-run of a dreary old movie for Rangers and their supporters.

Frustrated by their own shortcomings as much Livingston’s commendable resolve, there were echoes of the club’s post-Christmas form of old as the clock struck 75 minutes.

Just when it looked like a pair of dropped points at Pittodrie would be compounded by an unforeseen slip-up at home, the intervention of Scott Arfield from the bench changed the narrative entirely.

Out of contract in the summer, the midfielder might well be counting down the weeks until the end of his Ibrox odyssey. If that proves to be the case, he will reflect on this night with no little satisfaction.

Rangers midfielder Scott Arfield flicked a Borna Barisic cross out of the reach of Max Stryjek

Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s weakened side struggled to find a flow all night. They created a string of half chances but they lacked purpose and conviction in front of goal.

In relentless rain on the south side if Glasgow, it had all the hallmarks of an untimely slip.

Flicking a Borna Barisic cross out of the reach of Max Stryjek, Arfield raced to take the applause off his supporters with his trademark salute celebration. Relief was the overwhelming emotion inside the arena.

As underwhelming as his side’s performance had been, this felt like a big moment in the title race.

Ranger still have a four point advantage ahead of their trip to Dingwall on Saturday meaning they will travel to Celtic Park as league leaders.

They will need no one to tell them, though, that they will need to radically improve on this mediocre display if their hopes of extending their advantage after the derby are to remain intact.

Livingston gave it their all and will rue a momentary lapse in concentration that cost them an unlikely share of the spoils.

But they will console themselves knowing that they will play worse and win in the remaining games of this season.

Alex Lowry had caught the eye when he replaced the stricken Ianis Hagi against Stirling Albion last Friday and Van Bronckhorst’s lavish words of praise were backed up for a first start for the teenage midfielder.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s weakened side struggled to find a flow against Livingston

Ryan Kent’s suspension gave an opportunity for Fashion Sakala on the left with Cedric Itten deputising for Alfredo Morelos at the central area as the Colombian took his leave for the World Cup qualifiers.

Although Joe Aribo arrived back in Glasgow on Tuesday following Nigerian’s surprise early exit from the Africa Cup of Nations, he wasn’t risked here. Scott Wright was deployed on the right.

Despite their unfamiliar white strip, Livingston were along familiar lines with Bruce Anderson leading the line ahead of a compact five-man midfield.

Operating in the No 10 role, Lowry brought some early spark to the show. Sakala’s mazy run went unchecked giving the Scot a brief sight of goal. Stryjek watched his low shot all the way.

A poor kick from Allan McGregor gifted the visitors their first chance. The keeper was relieved that Odin Bailey couldn’t lift the ball over his head from 25 yards.

Livingston’s steely discipline in the early stages was broken by Stephane Omeonga needlessly clipping the ankles of Glen Kamara as Itten sped away on the counter. With Omeonga booked, Barisic wastefully fired the free-kick into the wall. It encouraged Rangers.

Fine footwork by Wright on the flank preceded a dangerous low cross that caught Itten on his heels.

The former Aberdeen forward was then left with his head in his hands. Lowry’s precise pass had played him in. His shot had enough venom to beat Stryjek but not Jack Fitzwater who heroically blocked on the line.

Rangers’ frustrations grew when Connor Goldson was yellow carded by referee Don Robertson for a blatant tug at Anderson’s jersey.

For all Lowry’s delightful work on the ball in the final third, Livingston were convinced he got away with one at the other end. Their loud appeal for handball following Bailey’s corner was met with a shake of the official’s head.

Rangers lacked rhythm and inspiration for long periods yet should still have been ahead at the break.

Wright again got the better of Jackson Longridge and delivered from wide. Sakala was on the move and tried to steer his shot home. Somehow Stryjek managed to guide the ball over the bar.

In the closing moments of the first half, Goldson may well have done better than volley a Barisic corner over the top. Wright certainly should have when Sakala’s cross picked him out but he couldn’t sort his feet out and the chance was gone.

There was more urgency about the home side after the break although not a great deal more quality. Wright’s wayward header from James Tavernier’s cross was one case in point, Sakala’s tame shot on the turn from 15 yards another.

Van Bronckhorst didn’t even wait to the hour mar to ring the changes – Kemar Roofe and Arfield replacing Itten and James Sands. Livingston replaced the tiring Anderson with Joel Nouble.

Lowry faded in the game but should have settled it. Taking Wright’s pass 15 yards out, he leant back and skied his effort over the top.

Sakala looked the most likely source. A jet-propelled acceleration through the left channel bought him space for a shot. Stryjek somehow managed to tip it over.

It was always going to take something special to break the West Lothian’s side’s resolve. Rangers found it via Arfield with 15 minutes remaining.

Barisic had struggled to provide much quality from the left all night but he picked out his team-mate with a gem of a cut-back. Still with much work to do, the substitute found the far corner with a looping strike. Ibrox breathed a huge sigh of relief.

David Martindale threw on the subs in search of an unlikely point. Jack McMillan, Caleb Chukwuemeka and Alan Forrest were all deployed but it was they who now had to do all the chasing.

Rangers edged it. On a pretty forgettable night, that was a more than acceptable outcome for their supporters.